Despair… not (a most unusual birthday tribute)

My dear friend Lyssa Sapeur (owner of Greymoon) shared with me some pictures she took recently where her goal was to capture “suffering.” However, she didn’t just capture suffering… she captured beauty. Both of us suffer from fibromyalgia. It’s a daily struggle, but despite the ever present pain and fatigue, both of us have found our own ways to cope, and I think I speak for us both when I say that Second Life is part of that coping mechanism.

I was challenged by Lyssa’s pics, and she gave me permission to share them. Hers are what I call “modest nudes.” It’s clear she’s stripped bare, but nothing is really showing. I love this form of nude photography. It’s vulnerable, beautiful and about shape and form… not overt sexuality (which is often also gorgeous, but in a different way). I didn’t edit her pics, except to take 2 of them and make a collage.

The past couple of weeks, I’ve been struggling with the fibro fatigue and pain quite a bit. It’s called a “flare,” and it sucks. But I try to find ways to keep myself distracted, and focused on things other than the pain. Today is Lyssa’s RL birthday… and I really wanted to do this post in her honor. Rather than “suffering,” I went with “despair.” That word nicely sums up the frustration and challenges of a flare. I had this awesome set of teary eyes and tears tattoos from Izzie’s called I’m not feeling very well… and I decided this was a great time to use them.

I’ve also been looking for an excuse to buy this seriously adorable new Magika hair Whimsical. It has this cute little crazy curl that you can show or hide. In this second pic, I’m showing it. Don’t I look like a Who or some other Seussian character?

This may seem like a rather morbid or gloomy birthday tribute… but I don’t see it that way, and I think Lyssa will understand. To me, this is a celebration of her ability (and mine) to find strength despite the challenges we face daily. She is a strong, beautiful woman who can see beauty through her daily pain and trials. I admire her greatly, and I am so glad to call her my friend.

And so… while I may despair, I also fight through it. I push on through the pain, and I succeed largely in part due to friends like Lyssa. She is an inspiration to me, and I am lucky to have her as part of my life.

Happy birthday, Lyssa. I hope you have a day every bit as beautiful and inspiring as you.